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Co-op Reflections


As a young student, you are plagued with questions everyday regarding your career, educational goals and ultimately your future life. As many of you may know, Co-operative education is a great way to help you gain valuable work experience that can ultimately help boost your resume and give you a head start on your career. For those of you who don't know what co-op is, its a program that consists of alternating periods of academic study and work experience in a particular industry where the student is engaged in productive work for which he/she receives remuneration. However, Co-op is not an easy commitment to make because it usually takes around 12-16 weeks to complete and can prolong your education.

Because of this educational delay many students tend to ask "is Co-op really worth it?" This question Is tough to respond to because there are so many different answers and each one of them isn't necessarily right or wrong. From a financial perspective it's a fairly appealing option for most low-income students because you have the chance to make some money while gaining work experience that is important to your career goals. Unfortunately there is more things to consider than just financials.

I'm a 4th year Business student at Okanagan College currently on a co-op work term that started in January and will continue throughout the summer. Because of this decision to work full time instead of going to class I had to delay my graduation by a whole semester. Sometimes I question myself for choosing to work over finishing school early but at the end of the day I've come to realize that work experience is too valuable to give up. Nowadays employers require you to have job experience before hiring you and the only way to obtain experience is to have a job. This catch 22 is frustrating and needs to be beaten. A great way to beat this is by embarking on a co-op work term.

Working in your specific area of study can be a wonderful experience and teaches you new skills that you cannot obtain from lectures alone. There's so many things that just can't be taught or mastered in the classroom; a lot of communication and soft skills take constant practice to perfect and the best way to practice this is by immersing yourself in a dynamic working environment. Most job environments require you to interact with co-workers, supervisors, and clients in various ways on a daily basis thus forcing you to concentrate on harnessing these soft skills and applying them to new situations. Each day is different, and the situations you encounter will not always be planned or executed the way you would expect and often these work situations are completely different than how you have learned about in class. When you become involved in a dynamic working environment you also learn to be much more organized as you must constantly balance and manage a variety of administrative and intricate tasks which helps mentally prepare you for any sudden changes that might arise. In school you will know what to expect of a project or task but out in the workforce having good organization and planning skills can assist you to succeed in any scenario. Another one of the most important aspects of co-op is that it allows you to apply the things that you have learned in class in the particular field of your choice. The concepts and ideas that you studied for months get applied to real-life scenarios and become much more than just principles, they instead become tools that you use to make your workplace more effective. The job ultimately becomes an opportunity for you to get a feel for what you like about the industry you have chosen to study and can help you decide if a career in this field is right for you.

So you think you want to join a co-op? Well there are some things to consider first before getting started. You must think about where you intend to be headed in your career. Choosing a career path is difficult and studying about a job is much different than working in one. The tasks that you must accomplish each and every day will change your perspective on certain fields and give you more insight as to how you would like to eventually accomplish your career goals. You must be careful however not to jump to conclusions about the field you have chosen to study and work in. It's easy to make large assumptions about an entire career based on the 6 month work term you have completed and just because you did not find your work term to be entirely engaging on all levels does not mean that each job in that industry is exactly the same. Your dream job will most likely not be attainable until further down the road when you have proven yourself worthy of handling such immense responsibilities.

Another thing to keep in mind when accepting a student work position is that you need to have realistic expectations. Students need to remember that they are still students and the purpose of their work term is to further their learning rather than accelerate up a corporate ladder. The tasks and projects you will be asked to complete at times may not be so glamorous and often its the simple things that employers just don't have the time to do. You will sometimes ask yourself why you have to work on something so basic or mundane because after all you are an intelligent and educated student and therefore feel entitled to be working on something of more significance. The truth is, every task is significant in the grand scheme of things and each task you accomplish on the job builds character and develops a skill that you might not think you're using. Ultimately, each job is important and there's no such thing as bad work experience; all experience you gain becomes a part of your unique resume and personal brand.

As I have reflected on the time I have spent working in my Co-op job I can honestly say it has been worth it. Even though graduation will most likely be delayed, I can whole heartedly attest to the Co-op experience and that it has given me the confidence I need after graduation to step out into the labor force knowing I can obtain employment. There will be times where your enthusiasm for your work will dwindle but you just push through it and look at the larger picture. Each day you work, you learn something new, challenge yourself in different ways, make new connections, while also growing and developing your skill set. The ultimate benefit from your time on a Co-op work term is the work experience you gain, and the complimentary work term report that your supervisor completes at the end is a major bonus to your credibility as a future student and employee. Co-op is truly priceless and I would highly recommend any student to take the time to consider applying for the program.


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